I read this book back in June when it first came out, but have been too busy meeting my own deadlines to have the time to write a review. However, I believe that it always better to be late with this things than never do them, so apologies for the tardy nature of this review.

Mold and the Poison Plot is the kooky debut middle grade book by Lorraine Gregory. It tells the tale of a boy called Mold who has a very large nose and an extraordinary ability to smell things in detail.

This book is a romp of an adventure that had me crossing all my fingers and toes at some points. The prose is rich with smells and flavour, and Mold is an unusual protagonist, easy to like and champion. At the heart of the adventure is his touching relationship with his adopted mother, who he has to save from wrongful accusation. The story is brutal and stinky in places, but all the best adventures are.

I hope we get to read more books about Mold and find out who his real parents are.